This may be a silly question, but are there any straight wheat whiskies made nowadays? I assume, from following the analogy with bourbons (between 51 and 80% corn) and ryes (over 50% rye), wheat whiskies would be made from over 50% wheat. Any of those on the market? If so, made by what distillery and under what brand names?

Cheers, Lex

cowdery

07-24-2001, 14:31

Your reasoning is correct and "Straight Wheat" is anticipated by the federal regulations, but no straight wheat whiskey is manufactured in the U.S. today.

You limited your comment to 'today,' Chuck. Do you know if any has ever been made?

Greg

**DONOTDELETE**

07-30-2001, 16:55

Greg,
While working at U.D. I found a couple of mash bills from the Glenmore distillery for wheat whiskey - one wheat and corn the other straight wheat (with barley malt of course). I assume it was not very good whiskey otherwise it would still be around today.
Mike Veach

kitzg

07-31-2001, 06:29

thanks, Mike
Interesting that consumers like rye enough to have rye whiskey in several variations but wheat whiskey did not endure.
Greg

cowdery

08-14-2001, 09:09

I seem to recall seeing a wheat whiskey imported from Wales at some point in the past. Like Mike, I too have seen mentions of American wheat whiskies in the past. Unlike rye, which was once the standard for American whiskey, wheats never really caught on.

Apparently there's someone to swear by just about any recipe
you can think of.

$35/gallon competes with liquor off the shelf, but $50/gallon?

rwilps

08-15-2001, 07:10

I checked the link out - had to, since it's in my neck of the woods. I don't know how good Mr. Custer's whiskey is, but he deserves the Pappy Van Winkle/Linn Spencer Award for gusto. "If I find out who told the police I'll break their kneecaps", at age 71. He'll probably do it, too - with a coal shovel.

Ralph Wilps

lexkraai

08-15-2001, 08:37

Hi Chuck

I seem to recall seeing a wheat whiskey imported from Wales at some point in the past.

That would be very interesting, given that I'm trying to get to the bottom of Wales' distilling history and its possible link with American distilling/distillers. Can you give me any lead on this which would enable me to dig further?

Cheers, Lex

cowdery

08-19-2001, 09:37

Sorry, but that vague memory is all I know. You might want to look at the web sites of some of the UK liquor stores, however. If it still exists, they probably will have it.

You might want to visit the Gwalia distillery site: http://www.welsh-whisky.co.uk/index1.html

They claim to be the first Welsh whisky distillery in over 100 years (their first whisky won't be ready until 2003). There's an email address at the bottom of their homepage...they might have some Welsh distilling history to share.

I'm not aware of any Welsh wheat whiskies although I have read that some whiskies blended and bottled in Wales are actually from Scotland.